The Simpsons: 10 Hidden Jokes Everybody Missed
8. Mr Burns Telephone Greeting Is Actually The Original Hello
Amongst Mr Burns' many peculiarities, one of his most well-known quirks is his weird greeting whenever he answers the phone. Instead of the usual 'hello' or 'who the hell is this?', Mr Burns always uses 'ahoy hoy' as an opening greeting. This odd little greeting actually carries some interesting history behind it.
When Alexander Graham Bell (allegedly) invented the telephone, he recommended that 'ahoy hoy' should be the greeting in which people should use when answering a call. Thomas Edison thought it as kind of stupid and proposed 'hello' as a better alternative. You can guess which one stuck and which one didn't.
But the joke runs deeper still. Not only is Mr Burns' trademark greeting a reference to a small piece of history, but it is also a clever backhanded dig on how old Mr Burns actually is (short answer: very).